St. Landry democrat., 1887-12-31
ABOUT PLANTS.
ID UNCERTAINTIES
IN THIS GREAT WORLD.
Striking Analogy Between the Animal
and Plant Kingdoms - How the System
of Reproduction is Carried on Among
PIants-The Use of Insects in This.


In this great world of ours is populous
and important kingdom The royal family
belongs, not to the dynasties of the Guelph
or Romanoff, but extends further into an
tiquity than these royal names. Within the
boundaries of this kingdom are more sub
iects than those ruled by the two dynasties
above mentioned combined many times and
these subjects of the plant kingdom-for this
is its name-are loyal and patriotic. Instead
of wrestling with Anarchcal and Nihilistic
problems, they go industriously to WORK,
extending the boundaries of the realm,
sending colonies in every direction, and
peophng it with race to stand in their
places when they shall wither and die. l
propose writing paper on the chief pur-
pose of plants, viz, reproduction; but before
| commence will correct an error obtaining
with some unscientitic people, and that is
the idea that a plant is small vegetable.
The tiny fungus, no larger than small
button, peering timidly over the sprigs of
grass, belongs to the same kingdom as
the stately oak hundreds of years old
and shading wide space with its
spreading branches. Both have the same
purpose in view and both strive to accom-
plish it. The oak natures an acorn, hoping
that therefrom will spring another oak. The
fungus by means of spores, watches chance
to perpetuate itself Reproduction is there
fore the primary purpose for which plant
buds, blossoms and bears fruits or nuts, and
having succeeded in this end they are con-
tent, some to wither and die, others to fall
into lethargic slumber until the edge cf
the north wind is dulled and he returns to
sharpen it for next winter on some boreal
grindstone by the North Pole That golden
pear blushing modestly as you gaze at it
and ready to melt like butter in your
mouth, is but secondary matter to the tree
that produced it. 1t is merely the casket in
which the jewels, those little brown seeds
nesting in the core, are preserved from
harm. Not for the pear did the tree breast
the wind and parch in the sun. Not for the
pear has it blossomed, but to mature these
little seeds which will creep from their hiding
place when the fruit falls and rots on the
ground, bury themselves in the earth and
put up shoots.
Between the animal and plant kingdoms
there is striking analogy in the basis of
generation. In the one as in the other there
must be male and female; between them
must pass the vitaliZing substance to fertilize
the seeds and render them capable under
proper conditions, of reproducing their kind
This formulating substance in the plant
family is called pollen, substance resem-
bling fine powder but composed of multi
tude of minute grains. The generating Or
gans of plant are-first the pistil, which
represents the female, and second the
stamen, which appertains to the male.
Suppose you pluck perfect flower and ex-
anime it. In the middle you will see a
solitary sprig this is the pistil the top of
which is called the stigma. Around this
pistil are other sprigs, which are stamens.
Now, if you will look through microscope
you viii perceive on the top Of these sta
mems little sacks, called anthers, which con-
tain the pollen of the plant When the plant
reaches certain state of maturity these
anther-sacks open, and the pollen falls, or is
carried to the pistil, where it throws out
small tubes like fine hairs which penetrate
the vascular tissue of the pistil until it
reaches the ovules or seeds, and renders
them fertile. These oyules, or rudimentary
seeds, are situated at the base of the pistil,
inclosed in q case. The centre of these
ovules is called the nucleus, and is en-
wrapped in two COATS the outer called the
primine, the inner the secundine. When
the tiny tube of the pollen passes through
! the coatings of the ovule and reaches the
nucleus it emits plantlet germ which
passes through the walls of the nucleus and
enters the germinal vesicle contained therein,
and which corresponds to the vesicle in
IL e
Gus animals. Until fully developed into
plantlet this germ remains in the vesicle.*
In some plants these tubes are of consid-
cradle length, and in such instances it takes
days to penetrate the whole length of the
pistil. If by chance no pollen reaches an
ovule it withers and dies if fertilized, it de-
velops into perfect seeds potent to reproduce.
Plants may be divided into three classes
Perfect, Monecious and Sioecious. A perfect
plant has the stamens and pistils in the same !
flower, and the pollen passes from the
anthers to the pistil by actual contact, as is
the case with the potato. A monecious /
plant has the pistil in one flower and the
stamens in another, as, for instance, Indian
corn. Here the silk which protrudes from
the ear represents the pistil, and the tassel |
bIG SbdtucliSs III ILLS CidSS Ol ptdl1JS tuG |!
stamenate flowers are generally situated
above the pistillate, in order that the pollen
by mere force of gravity may fall upon the
pistils When the pollen is mature on the
tassel of stalk of corn it falls to the ground
part of it is caught by the silk, strand of
which is connected with every kernel ON the
ear, and thus the grain is fertilized and made
prolific. / have frequently observed the
pollen like yellow dust lying upon the blades
zbf the corns Diecious plants have the pistil-
late flowers on one plant and the stamenate
ION another-as, for instance, hemp. Now, the
distribution of this pollen when mature is an
Interesting study Perfect plants. where the
male and female organs are situated in the
same flower, have no difficulty. In some
*see Griffith. Henfrey's Micographic Die
5tionary. i